"Hm. That brat Shisui actually gave someone else the secret medicine I gave him to protect his life?"
"Forget it. Since he was at the scene and made that judgment, I will trust him this once."
Rei opened his eyes and activated the Keystone Rune [Wind Speaker's Blessing], sending his chakra across a distance of more than a thousand kilometers.
Then he stood up from the bed he had been sitting on earlier and began moving his body.
Behind him, Orochimaru, who had just finished accepting a physical examination and had originally been resting with his eyes closed, heard Rei suddenly make a different movement.
He turned his head from the data he had been comparing and analyzing with the data from the past few days, asking with an interested expression:
"Oh? Shisui used the secret medicine you gave him on someone else? I remember hearing you mention before that he is currently carrying out an infiltration mission in Konoha, Rei-kun. If that is the case… did something happen on Konoha's side?"
"Unfortunately, the current situation in Konoha should not be so mild that it can be described as 'something happened.'"
As Rei used the Byakugan he had just obtained to observe the surrounding documents, data, and experimental equipment, he spoke to Orochimaru based on the memories sent back after his bone clone dissipated.
"Root took advantage of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's childbirth and launched an attack on Konoha. Konoha was caught completely off guard by them. They are in quite a sorry state right now."
"Root?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
"With only them, I am afraid it would not be enough. There should be other external forces involved, correct?"
"Oh? How did you come to that conclusion?"
Rei asked with interest.
"Although I have parted ways with Konoha, I would not easily misjudge the level of strength Konoha should possess."
Orochimaru put down the data sheet in his hand, his expression serious.
"Even if the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki is unable to fight because of childbirth, Konoha's remaining strength is still enough to surpass the full power of any one of the other Great Shinobi Villages aside from Kirigakure.
"Not to mention, they also have the advantage of fighting on home ground, as well as two powerful boys, Nagato and Shisui, secretly providing support.
"Unless the person standing behind Root is a monster shinobi like Madara Uchiha, someone capable of contending with you, Rei-kun, I do not believe Root has the ability to suppress Konoha to the point where Shisui would need to take out his life-saving secret medicine to save someone."
"Not bad judgment. In that case, why not guess which forces are tangled together with Root, Orochimaru?"
The veins around Rei's eyes bulged visibly.
As he felt the entirely new field of vision that seemed capable of taking almost every corner of Kirigakure Village into his sight after the Byakugan fully activated, he asked Orochimaru this question.
"Iwagakure and Kumogakure."
Orochimaru did not hesitate much before giving his answer.
"Aside from them, there should be no other forces in the shinobi world with the courage and strength to support Root in creating such a major incident. However, even if those two villages joined forces, they should still need to deploy quite a bit of high-level combat strength at the same time to possibly suppress Konoha, correct?"
"Good guess. Kumogakure and Iwagakure put a total of three Jinchuriki into battle. The Seven-Tails of Takigakure was also somehow borrowed by Root through unknown means. If Nagato had not reacted quickly enough, Konoha would likely have already been reduced completely to ruins under the bombardment of four Tailed Beasts' Tailed Beast Balls."
Even Orochimaru, who had witnessed no shortage of grand scenes, could not help frowning because of that lineup, which could only be described as terrifying.
"Four Jinchuriki? Root persuaded Iwagakure and Kumogakure to destroy Konoha completely in one battle?"
"It is hard to say exactly what kind of agreement they reached, but now that things have reached this point, even if Iwagakure and Kumogakure's people did not have that thought at the beginning, they will probably follow the current and do it anyway.
"After all, an opportunity like this—where they have an internal traitor guiding the way, can directly deploy strategic weapons like Jinchuriki into the outskirts of an enemy shinobi village, and do not need to worry about the enemy's own Jinchuriki counterattacking—is far too rare."
Rei shrugged and reached for the Mizukage robe hanging from the clothes rack nearby.
Seeing this, Orochimaru raised an eyebrow and asked with some surprise:
"Rei-kun, what are you planning to do?"
"What am I planning to do? Of course, summon my Seven Ninja Swordsmen and prepare to slaughter Konoha for a fortune."
Rei casually draped the Mizukage robe over himself, chin slightly raised as he spoke in a relaxed tone.
"You intend to support Konoha?"
Orochimaru furrowed his brow.
"I thought… Rei-kun would treat Konoha as an enemy on your future path of conquest, and sit by as they were heavily damaged, or even destroyed."
"If I do not help, Konoha is destined to meet its end tonight. But for me and Kirigakure, that is not necessarily a good thing."
Rei shook his head.
His hands formed the seals used to send a gathering message to those who bore the Cursed Seal of Heaven, while he said calmly:
"Kirigakure's reform has only just begun. I still need a great deal of time to cultivate the talent I require, construct the system I envision, and reshape the overall economic structure…
"If Konoha is destroyed now, then Kirigakure will become the only enemy Root needs to consider. If we are constantly harassed and sabotaged by them as a target, this kind of inherently radical system reform will absolutely be impossible to continue."
"I need a target like Konoha standing at the front, attracting attention and firepower for me, winning me enough time to develop.
"So even if today is the best opportunity to destroy Konoha, I must help and support Konoha's continued existence until I and Kirigakure are ready."
"Even if Kirigakure and Konoha will still meet on the battlefield in the future?"
Orochimaru took a deep breath and asked with a somewhat complicated expression.
"That is a matter for the future. At least in this moment, Konoha needs Kirigakure, and Kirigakure also needs Konoha."
Rei pushed open the research institute's door and stepped outside.
Outside the research institute, Mangetsu Hozuki and Kisame Hoshigaki, both still in the village, had already arrived with the ninja swords they had inherited on their backs.
They stood in attendance, waiting for his next order.
Watching Rei leave, Orochimaru's already narrow eyes narrowed into slits.
Within them, an obscure and complicated expression vaguely surfaced.
As for Kabuto Yakushi, who had listened to the entire conversation between them from the side as Orochimaru's assistant, his thoughts were not so complicated.
He pushed up the round-framed glasses he had received from the orphanage director, Nono Yakushi, and thought with some longing:
If Kirigakure extends aid to Konoha and helps Konoha survive this massive crisis, will relations between the two villages ease, or even become friendly?
If that happens, will I be able to openly send money and letters to everyone at the orphanage in the future?
Maybe I could even personally go meet the director and the others, and tell them that I am doing very well now?
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